I was approached to sign a petition and decided to do further research on it before getting involved.
Boy, what a lesson did I learn.
I learned how politics and lobbying is far more important than the environment. I learned that people who are held in high regard could stand up in front of the Coastal Commission and use science from 10 years ago to get an outdated point across and win. I watched a Chumash descendent bump fists with the head of Heal the Bay while thinking, “Does he realize that his ancestor’s relics are going to be removed from a 3,000-year-old site by bulldozers and 1,000 dump trucks bring those belongings to a dump site?” I learned that the Coastal Commission was lobbied and already had its mind made up before 40 people spoke for four hours on this issue. They insulted their own intelligence with their total disregard of the audience. Often paying more attention to their cell phones, computers and talking to one another while people spoke to them directly.
Above all, I learned that the overall water quality was not even considered in this massive project to restore the lagoon; that there will still be contaminated water after the wetland and bridges are ripped out. I learned that if this project doesn’t work in five years it will get ripped out again. I learned what a weak stance our City Council took on this issue, even giving land to the state years ago to take care of this project so they wouldn’t have to. I learned that their multi-million dollar sprinkler system in the “Lunacy” Park could have been implemented to redirect water to a portion of the wetland to improve circulation.
If you don’t believe me read the staff report and do some homework. I did.
Wendi Werner